Various attempts have been made to overcome the problem of protecting and supporting the lower back during strenuous or athletic activities that require support and flexibility. In addition to being employed for the game of golf, support devices are often used in many other sports such as tennis, baseball, football, and the like.
The inventions as disclosed and described herein are designed to enhance a sports player's ability, offering secure comfort for those who may or may not have low back or hip orthopedic conditions.
The object of the golf swing is to hit the ball as long and as accurately as possible. The swing requires rotation with extension of the lumbar spine coupled with pelvic torque. These swing elements could lead to creating or exacerbating spine or hip orthopedic conditions, especially if they are accompanied by poor posture and a structural imbalance. Swinging the golf club with a painful back is not conducive to accurately hitting the ball for distance or for enjoying the sport.
The present invention considers these imbalances and provides improved core and trunk alignment, which can translate into a less painful, more relaxed, smoother, balanced, and controlled swing.
Contrary to popular belief, chronic back, neck or shoulder pain does not always originate in the back. In fact, a large majority of back, neck, hip, and leg pain, along with most muscle strain, can be traced to two natural biomechanical phenomena; gravity and balance.
The center of gravity within the human body focuses on the sacroiliac joints in the pelvis, the body's two primary weight-bearing joints. Core muscles link the upper and lower body, thus, a strong core, particularly the pelvis, is essential to enhanced performance and stability.
The lumbar-pelvic-hip complex consists of the fourth and fifth lumbar joints, the sacrum, the two hip joints, and the pubic symphysis. This complex should always be considered as a mechanical unit, and the position of the pelvis is the keynote in postural alignment. Involvement in one structure affects the positioning and movement of the others.
Any frontal plane asymmetry, leg-length discrepancy, or loss of motion in one joint of the complex that might alter the forces from the spine above or the lower limbs below, can influence the lumbar-pelvic-hip complex, an result in abnormal mechanical stresses and symptoms of overuse causing pain and limited movement.
The “core” consists of the spine, trunk (upper, lower, front, back and sides) and pelvis connection. The pelvis is perhaps the most important component of both the core and the lumbar-pelvic-hip complex. There are many deep internal muscles in our trunk and pelvis as well as surrounding our spine.
These muscles act as stabilizers. A stable core is largely dependent on our individual posture which is affected by our movement habits and patterns. The level of core strength a person has depends on a person's posture and muscle balance.
The human body is built to receive forces we place on it in relation to gravity; the job of the core helps to support, power, and distribute these forces in the desired direction by activating the particular muscle groups for the required action. The type of posture each individual exhibits will determine how these forces are distributed. If there is uneven distribution of load, this typically results in the body overcompensating i.e. over and/or under-utilizing of muscles.
Very few humans maintain perfect posture throughout their entire lives. Sitting, standing, carrying, lifting, the structural shape of the spine, and injuries, are a few of the factors that affect posture, muscle balance and the body's spatial awareness.
Research has shown that when the pelvis area is out of balance, it will cause abnormal stress to one side of the body, forcing muscles to strain, and affecting strength, endurance and overall performance. As one ages, wear and tear on the pelvic bones and joints (including the sacroiliac joints, integral components of the lumbar-pelvic-hip complex, which change as we age) may cause significant problems, may present as back pain, and will demand increased support in this region.
A common ailment involving the lumbar-pelvic-hip complex is sacroiliac dysfunction. The clinical signs are pain and local tenderness, with increased pain on position changes such as ascending or descending stairs or slopes or rising from sitting or lying to standing. Pain may also increase with prolonged postures in sitting or standing positions. It has been shown that dysfunctions of the pelvis often are associated with hip, buttocks, and groin pain syndromes. Since joint stability is critical for optimal function, impaired or altered sacral movement (e.g. nutation and counter-nutation) and coupled with inadequate “form and force closure” of the sacroiliac joints is seen as an important cause of pelvic dysfunction.
By protecting the sacroiliac joints and ligaments with an appropriate support, pain can be minimized and normal function can be achieved. Control of sacral movement increases stability and reduces the pain caused by friction in the sacroiliac joint(s).
Force closure is defined as stability created by the muscular system. Form closure is defined as the stability created by the joint surfaces, shape of the bone and ligamentous integrity. Nutation is sacral flexion which occurs with trunk flexion or hip extension. Counter-nutation is sacral extension which occurs with trunk extension or hip flexion.
The combination of for and force closure creates a self-locking mechanism that stabilizes the SI joint during loading. Muscular imbalance weakness and inadequate coordination between muscles diminish force closure and disrupts sacral motion which consequently increases the load on the pelvic ligaments, straining those ligaments, which results in pain and laxity.
The present invention supports the hips and pelvis, helping with alignment and balance, allowing for better flexibility and stability during activity and enhanced force closure, which leads to enhanced form closure.
The instant invention allows active people to move and function successfully, despite their specific pain or discomfort, and may help prevent further injury.
Advantages include; simultaneous stabilization and support of back and hips; improved core and trunk alignment; relief for back, hip and leg pain; prevention of muscle spasms and cramping; faster recovery of overused muscles; structural support for weak or injured backs and hips; prevention of harmful movements; enhanced strength and muscle tone of injured muscles; correction of joint problems; adjustment of misalignments that result from tightened muscles; facilitation of joint motion; comfort, control and confidence for every physical activity; and improved postural awareness.
Back pain is one of the most common reasons people visit their doctor. Eight out of ten people have some type of backache today. Americans spend $86 billion a year on spine treatments (up 65% in a decade); about the same as we spend treating cancer, yet our backs are not getting better. The percentage of back pain sufferers has increased and more of them are reporting physical, social and work limitations.
Some known devices include U.S. Pat. No. 6,068,606 which discloses a back support brace comprising a back panel, a left side panel and a right side panel wherein the left and right side panels are secured at opposite ends of the back panel and are wrappable around the waist of a wearer and adjustably securable thereto. Aligned pairs of belt loops are provided on an inner surface of the brace and are adapted to receive a belt for holding up the pants of the wearer of the brace therethrough so as to prevent the brace from being advanced out of a preset position during lifting activities.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,484,395 is directed to a back brace including a lumbar spinal support belt disposed about a user's torso by a first co-acting fastening means, a strap-like tensioning member pair affixed to the lumbar spinal support belt and being wrapped about the user's torso using a second co-acting fastening means, manual engagement loops affixed to free ends of the strap-like tensioning member pair, and a releasable means for affixing the brace to an existing garment like firefighting equipment.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,766,532 discloses a back support belt brace system comprised of a back panel, two side panels, two side wings, and a belt. The side wings are attached anywhere along the back panel and side panels using a hook and loop fastener providing adjustability. The belt is connected to the back panel, side panels, and two side wings with a hook and loop fastener. The belt contains an end with a belt buckle and an end with a plurality of holes, which are interlocked to secure the brace. An adjustable suspension system is attached to the support brace using clips.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,962,572 is directed to a lumbar support brace which is designed to create a tightening effect to push the abdominal contents and abdomen toward the spinal column. In addition, a U-shaped member supports the spine on either side and is connected to a pelvic support member so that the abdomen, spine, and pelvis are concurrently supported. The key feature of the present invention is that the support is a dynamic support which enables the wearer to engage in vigorously physical activity.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,134,969 discloses a device and method for encouraging or ensuring proper posture of a golfer during a golf swing. In certain embodiments, the device may be in the form of a brace comprising a strap that fits around the body to resist or prevent excessive bending of the spine, or “hunching over,” during the golf swing. The brace may have a single, continuous strap that winds around the body, forming a crossing pattern across the spine and passing over both shoulders, with the ends of the strap meeting in the front of the body. The ends of the strap may be joined, for example by a buckle, to allow adjustment. The brace may be an integral part of a garment, which may have an outer shell and inner lining.
U.S. Pat. No. 8,708,834 is directed to a golf training harness. The harness comprises a body, two shoulder straps attached to the body, at least a waist strap either fixedly or removeably attached to the body, and a shaft; wherein the shaft is removeably inserted within a channel that extends the length of the body. When the user wears the harness, the shaft extends above and below the channel and the shaft contacts a back of the user's head, the user's scapular or upper back area, and the user's sacrum or lower back area, and these three points of contact of the shaft with the user's body enable the user to learn and achieve a proper golf posture and swing.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,651,163 is directed to lumbar support device comprising a rigid shell having a back portion between opposing sides, the sides extending forwardly of the back portion and defining a hollow, the rigid shell being formed from a rigid inelastic material; and an inelastic lumbar support surface for engaging a user's lumbar region having one end attached to one of the sides of the rigid shell and another end attached to the other side of the rigid shell such that the surface partially encloses the hollow, said surface having an adjustable surface contour configured to be adjusted to conform to a neutral postural position of a user's lumbar region.
U.S. Pat. No. 8,449,484 discloses a conformable brace used for supporting both the abdomen and lower back of a wearer in preventative and treatment applications. The brace includes an abdominal support panel substantially enclosed within a support envelope, a lumbar support panel having a dome-shaped protrusion that complements the lumbar contour of the user's back, and a belt that places the abdominal support panel and the lumbar support panel in opposed biasing arrangement against the torso of a user. The belt is associated with the support envelope and is also inserted though vertical slots in the lumbar support panel. The belt is used for selection of the biasing force needed by each user, the support envelope evenly distributes the tension provided by the belt across the abdominal support panel for enhanced user comfort, and a Y-shaped end tab comprising easily-releasable material helps the belt to remain secure during its use.
U.S. Pat. No. 8,226,587 discloses a spinal support, having a right arm having an abutment that is adapted to abut against an anterior portion of the right pelvic bone; and a left arm having an abutment that is adapted to abut against an anterior portion of the left pelvic bone; such that said abutment of said left arm is separated by a distance from said abutment of said right arm; wherein said right and left abutments are adapted to rest on said right and left anterior superior iliac spine, and a posterior spinal support adapted to abut against at least a portion of the spine, comprising a connector for connecting each of said left and right arms to said posterior spinal support; wherein said right and left abutments are essentially on a plane parallel to said posterior spinal support, therein generating and exerting a force in an a posterior to anterior direction between said right and left abutments and said posterior support; wherein said right and left arm are configured to minimize pressure on the lateral sides of the body; wherein at least one of said abutment of said one right arm or said abutment of said one left arm adjustably extends with respect to said one posterior spinal support; wherein at least one of said one right arm or said one left arm are adjustable to assume at least two angles with respect to the longitudinal axis of said one posterior spinal support.
While these above described devices may work for their intended purpose, there is a need for improved lumbar-pelvic-hip support devices which have the benefits of some known devices, yet none of the shortcomings. Unlike other knows devices, the instant invention is designed to support the pelvic region, the center of the kinetic chain that stabilizes our core and controls the body's balance in a novel manner.
Therefore, the present invention is directed towards improved lumbar-pelvic-hip support devices, in particular, devices useful for playing golf or other sports requiring flexibility and freedom of movement while maintaining the user's posture in an optimal position.